pouët.net

knl: this is literally the thread title of the chiptune thread on SA :D

"Chiptune and 8-Bit General: Beepin' Boops Like It's Actually Music"

Also, they hardly post chiptunes but mostly 8-bit sounding synthpoppy stuff. Then again, it's Americans mostly.

and when you say synthpoppy stuff, you really mean "trial n errors unresolved melodies" played by a gameboy while headbanging.

JuvenileShithead:

yes, because im no kid anymore. I like to be in a hall where people feel free to drink beer/booze and have fun rather than go round wondering what the hell the security guard is looking for with hsis dogs sniffing around for drugs (if that is their thing).

i respect their way of doing security, but that does not mean i agree with their way of doing things. the question is: is it worth it? having so tight security that the party in itself is reflected by it. No,. i heard people where uncomfortable, and i totally understand it. because they may feel treated like dirt if they dont have anything to hide.

It's Thursday night, and time for another exciting edition of "guess which person with an outspoken opinion about The Gathering has actually fucking been there"! *applause*

hehe :)

i like my way of exaggerating sentences in a perfectly harmless topic :)

*trying to ignore the bit about TG's security and the we-kids-need-beer thing*

so, what's the plan to revive the scene ?

a new web portal ?
more parties ?
more outreach ?
more accessible compos ?
more webby stuff ?

and also, while we're at it, what's making the scene special ? cuz we don't want to change anything so fundamental it would kill it, right?

BarZoule: exactly my point too, even though i dont say it in words.

err... more demos?

<imho>
if we produce quality content we won't need to do any effort to attract people, they will just come by themselves. the fact we actively look for and have to make effort to captivating people is already a symptom that we are doing something "wrong" at a base level. so you can do tours, parties, projections, documentaries, books, portals, fancy websites, magazines, tutorials... thing is nobody want to buy unattractive stuff no matter how good your salesman is. and, i think we have very good salesmen in the scene, but the final product is still very... well... "demo style". which i'm fine with (that's what i like doing), but, for the good or the bad, it just won't sell today.
</imho>

just dont make it commercial. the demoscne is dead that day.

fuckin 'ell at least that would be a bit of motivation.

Rudi: the scene is commercial already. Many parties wouldn't be possible without corporate sponsoring. And prizemoney can be motivational for many people, too.

Imagine me posting the picture of Decipher with his Assembly prize money for the YUP 4k in 2009 here.

(it was 4000 euros)

D.Fox: well, yes we all know that. But apart from the economic expenses being used for managing a party the true demoscene is not commercial.

Jesus. 4000 Euros would, at current exchange rates, cover 80-95% of the cost of putting on @party.

I could organize two Functions out of it. Then again, the 2010 Function was done mostly out of the X Marks The Spot prizemoney :D

4000 euros, at current commercial rates, would cover about 1/10 the cost of making a fairlight cncd demo.. :) (srsly, demomaking is NOT commercial)

otherwise, i completely agree with what iq said and he more or less summarised what i was trying to say.

which is good to hear it from him, because imo iq's raymarching work has been one of the biggest _outreach_ things from the scene in years. that was something that put the demoscene back on the map to regular graphics people outside the scene and many got interested in it because of that. a lot of people outside the scene know about iq.

if people make great demos that look good and are watchable whether they are demos or not, people will be interested in joining; otherwise they will not.
the biggest problem with outreach efforts recently is that they still market the scene is this great thing full of amazing talents producing incredible things that nobody has seen before on a computer; if that were still true, it'd be in a lot better condition.

Inigo's efforts on his own tutorials and releases have indeed been something I often from non-sceners, about the scene -- "Oh, HE'S one of you guys? Damn, need to check out more demos then!", that sort of thing.

If I can add to what he said (and what Matt and others have already said), the following oneliner might be key:

More demos, with more consistent design, on more accessible platforms.

If we can pull that off, the transition to "demoscene 4.0" is most likely secured.

Totally agree with iq and smash. My opinion know is that the best outreach there is are great productions. And not just great _demoscene_ productions, however just great works.

While I agree, does anyone else see the paradox here? We need more and better demos, because apparently that's what makes new people interested, but then new people don't make demos, because the quality gap is already so big that it's impossible to catch up.
I.e. better demos make people demotivated, worse demos keep them uninterested?

I don't think the data suggests that at all. The whole "Good demos has a negative effect on demoscene recruitment"-argument is rubbish IMO. Try drawing a parallel to games or movies: is it BAD movies or games that make people want to be a part of those industries? Of course not. The "problem" is how to better support people while they are in the transition phase between a complete beginner and someone who actually knows their stuff. This, of course, mostly comes down to the individual in question -- if it's a lazy quitter, then no amount of support or action from the active demoscene community is going to make even the slightest bit of difference.

No, I believe that my sentence above is pretty spot on as to what we who actually make demos TODAY can do.

Maybe someone should do an "Advertisement" Demo ;)

Gargaj++



One aspect of it could be more structured approach to mentoring. Groups need to open up, reach out and pursue new members, and mentor them, not expecting all recruits to go somewhere.

Maybe encourage more of this at parties? Speeddating? Or a wall to put up advertisements?